Republic Steel’s idled Lorain, Ohio, mill could see international investment

Potential investments at a Republic Steel mill and rolling facility in Lorain, Ohio, could bring 500 to 1,200 jobs back to the city, Mayor Jack Bradley says in a news release issued Nov. 20.

Bradley says Republic Steel’s parent company, Grupo Simec, headquartered in Guadalajara, Mexico, has engaged in encouraging discussions with several international steelmakers interested in establishing operations in the city as the current tariff conditions lend these producers a strategic and economic advantage by operating within the U.S. rather than producing steel abroad.

He adds that Lorain’s industrial infrastructure, workforce potential and strategic location make the city an attractive option for these prospective investors.

Early information shared with the city of Lorain indicates the potential for significant economic impact, Bradley says. If the estimated job creation of between 500 and 1,200 positions is realized, it would mark one of the most substantial industrial revitalization efforts in the region in recent years.

“We are encouraged by the strong interest shown in Lorain as a site for renewed steel production,” he says. “Republic Steel has been working with First Energy to guarantee that sufficient power can be delivered for steel production in Lorain. The city of Lorain will continue to collaborate closely with Grupo Simec and prospective steel partners as discussions advance. Additional information will be shared with the public as it becomes available.”

The Republic Steel site in Lorain was idled in 2022 after the company began scaling down its operations at the plant in 2016, staffing it with about 100 employees, according to an early 2024 report from News 5 Cleveland about how the facility had fallen into disrepair.

The idled site covers 435 acres on the city’s south side.

Bradley told the news outlet last year that the city’s frustration with the decaying property led it to buy a drone to examine the site more closely without trespassing, revealing crumbling buildings, collapsing roofs and piles of debris.

With the video evidence, the city was able to obtain a search a warrant, according to the News 5 Cleveland article, discovering flooded basements, crumbling foundations and vegetation inside buildings, resulting in multiple violations, which the city said it planned to prosecute and pass along to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

The property offers access to State Route 57, a railroad line along its perimeter and access to the Black River and the only deep-water port between Toledo and Cleveland.

Bradley told News 5 Cleveland in 2024 that several companies had expressed interest in the site, but conversations with Republic never resulted in an agreement.